Fuse Pilates

Fuse is the greatest! I don’t know why it took me so long to write a review… I’ve been going there for a year and I love it. I tried Class Pass and tested a ton of gyms, barre studios and pilates studios and Fuse is hands down the best in DC. Great fusion (hence the name) of pilates, barre, and some yoga moves. Cool instructors who tend to have really good playlists. It’s a great workout and I love that it’s taught around requests on which areas to focus on. I would seriously recommend this to anyone, no matter what type of workout they’re looking for. Fuse can do it all!

Phew. Fuse’s ladder class is no joke. Although the ladder looks like it belongs on a playground, it’s just as much of a torture device as the reformer. Do not underestimate it’s ability to make you sweat and shake.
Like the other Fuse Pilates classes, ladder will focus on core and alignment while giving you a full body workout based around three requested body parts. The spring, loop, and bar add ons to the ladder just exponentially increase the number of exercises that can be done, so you know every class will be different. Ladder is really unique and you can’t take a class like it anywhere else (patent pending?) which I think is really cool, especially DC is so saturated with workout studios that all start to feel similar.
The only thing I don’t like about ladder is hanging at the end. Maybe it’s because my shoulders have been worked to their max for an hour already, but I can barely even hang my body still, let alone pulse my legs. I do hanging exercises at other studios so I’m not sure what it is about these pesky ladders! Oh well, always something to work toward I guess.
Yes, this class is seriously challenging, but everything can be modified and taking breaks as needed is always welcomed. Ladder is a great way to work on your Pilates exercises while getting your heart rate up.

As a yoga teacher I decided it would be good to finally take a Pilates class to give my body a little bit of a different experience during a workout and I am incredibly happy I chose Fuse. I decided to take the Ladder class as opposed to Mat because 1. I am a glutton for pain 2. I figured I have some no no tendencies from yoga that wouldn’t translate well to Pilates Mat (we don’t always follow c-​curve etc.) Ladder was a great workout, the room was inviting and the class was just hard enough you felt something but not so hard you wanted to escape. I really enjoyed the ability to request areas to focus on at the beginning of class and want to thank the teacher for being so helpful in correcting me from a yogini to a more Pilates focused body shape during the workout. Feeling sore today (in a great way) and will definitely be back!

I LOVE Fuse!!! I usually just stick to the mat class but all the classes are great. The instructors are super friendly and attentive. It’s an awesome workout that goes by fairly quickly and leaves you feeling toned.
I have recently moved back to California and still have not been able to find anything like Fuse (and trust me, i have tried many different studios in LA and SF). I always make sure to go to a class whenever I visit DC and I wish there was a studio near me!

A friend brought me along to a mat class at Fuse, and I felt it for DAYS afterward — in a good way! Admittedly, I’m relatively new to pilates, but as a regular runner and rock climber I thought this would be relatively easy. I could not have been more wrong! The class was difficult and it targeted areas that I don’t otherwise focus on, such as my lower back, outer thighs, and triceps. I’m sold on Fuse and will definitely be incorporating it into my workout routine.

I want to give 3.5 stars. Fuse has a lovely space that feels clean, modern, and with sufficient direct sunlight. The ladder room is also well-​equipped and can be lots of fun as you work with a variety of props throughout a class. There are changing rooms separate from the bathrooms so you don’t have to wait forever to get changed if you’re already cutting it close to class time.
Some of the instructors are great and can really push you to challenge yourself. I had Janine in my first class and she’s fabulous. Some classes are tougher than others even if they’re all original fuse pilates classes, depending on the instructor. The one suggestion for improvement I do have, though, is they could all pay more individual attention to the students and spare less effort when it comes to adjusts. Sometimes the verbal cues are confusing to some and we end up doing the wrong movements. It would be helpful if the teachers came around more often and worked on us individually.
The mat classes focus on different muscle groups in your body and you can request them before each class, but usually it’s obliques, glutes, abs, and thighs. I took a ladder class and it felt way more challenging; my hands hurt a lot while trying to grab on to the rung and pull myself up.

This was my second visit to Fuse (the first was to the Dupont location). The space is really beautiful and pretty spacious in the waiting area. I really was not a fan of the class though. The teacher was so disengaged that I wasn’t even sure she was the teacher, just sitting on the floor in the front of the room and barely walking around or demonstrating exercises. I get annoyed with Pilates Mat classes because they flucuate between being so easy you don’t break a sweat and so impossible that you can’t even make a half hearted attempt at the move. This class was one of the latter. There were a number of moves that only the most fit could accomplish and looking around the room it was clear that most people weren’t even trying. I think it’s silly as an instructor to not read the room and see what people are capable of accomplishing before offering exercises. I just left feeling dejected and annoyed. I don’t think I’ll be back.

The ladder class here is very challenging, but as fun as a workout can get in my opinion! I’ve done pilates for just over a year now, and I think it’s a great intro class for all the males that think pilates is just for girls. Lots of upper body and arm focus, but always with a solid core foundation. A great way to stay in shape, or get back to it for summer! Honestly, after my first class, my arms and shoulders were sore for at least a day or two. This is also a great supplement class if you’re only doing weights or cardio so you can focus on your core too. The teachers are awesome and energetic, and the music playlists add that extra motivation that I know we all need sometimes.

I have been doing Crossfit for a few months and was pretty sure pilates was not going to fulfill my sweat need. WOAH — I could not have been more wrong. The ladder class was phenom dot com. The teacher was super fun/​funny and really helped keep me motivated to keep my butt moving. I love this place and the fun & healthy environment they have.

Holy good workout. Beautiful space. And no pretension. Many boutique studios in the city feel cliquey, and formulaic. They go thru the routine, with tweaks in the pattern weekly, but it’s still the same ol’ cult-​like grind it out routine. Maybe it’s the cooler 14^th St vibe but mama likes this studio!
Fuse asks the class what body parts to focus on and they change it up from there. I will be back. Thanks, Classpass, for introducing me to Fuse!

Wow, ladder class is unreal. Challenging, fun, and unlike anything I’ve ever done. So glad that fuse opened this second location and introduced this class!

I LOVE the Fuse Pilates ladder class. I’ve taken it three times now and I’m totally sold! The combination of the Fuse method of teaching classes upon request and the ladder being so versatile makes for an incredible workout. I’ve gone after work several times and it is the perfect way to really feel great about yourself after a long day. Highly recommend!

Love this fuse location — like the original DuPont space, this new studio has a warm and yet modern vibe, is clean and comfortable, well-​stocked with animal crackers, and less than 2 minutes away from a Sweetgreen. Huge bonus, it’s super close to a gelateria!
Wonderful environment aside, the real reason to come to Fuse Pilates is for the classes. The 14^th street studio not only has plenty of mat classes (which turned me into an addict many, many moons ago) but also has the new ladder apparatus! All classes (at this studio and at Dupont) are challenging, taught on request, choreographed to music, and fun, but the ladder class is an entity unto itself. Being able to climb up on things, elevate your legs/​chest during pushups/​roll-​ups, and pull on resistance bands while doing legwork just makes everything that much more «interesting.» All of the teachers are supportive and knowledgeable, you really can’t go wrong.
My only complaint is that my indecisiveness over «which fuse class to take» just became that much harder — like it wasn’t bad enough having to choose between mat, chair, tower, reformer and circuit!

I’m a huge fan of Fuse and am excited that they were able to open a second location. While the rooms aren’t huge here either, and it has a similar look and feel to the Dupont location, it is slightly more modern and brighter.
I took a class here with Addie, and she is fantastic. I’m sad I haven’t taken a class with her before, but I highly recommend her, even if you are brand new to Pilates. The other staff I interacted with were friendly as well.
If location is not a concern for you (as it’s not for me), you should definitely check out Fuse’s second location.

The newest location of Fuse just opened on 14^th and to celebrate they were offering free classes at both this and the DuPont studio all weekend. I jumped at the chance to try the basic matt class, thinking «this will be fun, you like new things and haven’t done pilates before!» And then class started and I realized I’d repressed my previous pilates experiences… because boy does it hurt: p
Backing up, Fuse is on the second floor in a nicely decorated and naturally lit space. When you walk in you’re greeted by the reception desk and directed to one of the two studio spaces. Check-​in and the waiver process went smoothly and I appreciated the free branded hairband that was offered (hair seriously gets in the way with matt exercise!).
The class was fairly full (30ish students) but the matts were already laid down at the start so everyone had the appropriate amount of space. All classes at Fuse are taught «on request» meaning the class gets to decide what body parts are focused on that day. Abs were not suggested but our instructor added them anyways, ouch.
The instruction style was clear but not hands-​on. I only saw one adjustment being made during class but I’m sure many of us could have used more attention, always the downside to a large class. Music was played throughout and the instructor had a good sense of humor about how difficult many of the moves were. After 55 minutes of pain and a short stretch class was done. And considering how much my abs hurt 12 hours later, the pain probably would lead to some awesome abs if I decide to return to Fuse.